


The Meeting

by franscats



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Gen, Sentinel Thursday Challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-27
Updated: 2015-04-27
Packaged: 2018-03-26 01:08:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3831529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/franscats/pseuds/franscats
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dr. Blair Sandburg is an anthropology professor and a practicing shaman.  When the spirits lead him out onto Rainier's Commons, he meets an unusual man.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> This was done for the Sentinel Thursday challenge #504 - Stranger

The Meeting

It was a normal Wednesday afternoon. Following his usual routine, Dr. Blair Sandburg glanced over his students’ essays which he had collected that Wednesday morning from his master’s anthro 302 class. The blue books were piled in front of him waiting to be graded. It seemed this was a normal day: books to grade, meetings to attend, and articles to write, maybe a few students to meet with. But something inside him was jumpy. He knew the signs and could tell something was coming, he could feel it in his bones and it distracted him as he tried to concentrate on the work at hand.

He glanced again at the books. He knew he needed to get them graded and posted but something kept pulling his attention away from grading. Giving up with a sigh of resignation, Blair stood and left his office walking out onto the Rainer University Commons where students were enjoying a sunny, warm day. Such a beautiful day was rare in Cascade Washington in late fall and students were camped out on the lawns and under pine trees that littered the Commons, reading or writing or discussing philosophical topics. In the back of his mind, Blair remembered his undergraduate days when he would sit around discussing hot issues with professors.

He smiled as he thought over those carefree days and ruefully shook his head, his long brown curls falling over his face. Something had pulled Blair out here, something spiritual from deep within himself. And, as a practicing Shaman, Blair knew not to ignore what called to him.

Glancing around, not sure what he was looking for, he listened to the sound of the wind blowing across the trees, the rustle of leaves already turning orange and red, and in the distance the call of birds. But he was sure that none of those things had pulled him from his work. Closing his eyes, Blair let his mind clear of thoughts and waited for the spirits to guide him. For a few moments nothing happened, the quiet earth just feeding him energy and then a loud expletive caught his attention and opening his eyes he turned to see a man bending to pick up both some books and a cane, his right leg stiff as he moved.

It was obvious from his awkward movements and discomfort level that the man didn’t normally use a cane and was finding it difficult to juggle it and the books. Walking over, Blair bent and picked up the two text books that had fallen as the man retrieved the cane and a large spiral notebook. 

“Here you go,” Blair smiled as he held the books, reading the titles while waiting for the man to resettle his weight. When he was sure the man was balanced he looked up into the bluest eyes he had ever seen. It was framed in what Blair would call a strong, honest face.

“Ah, thanks,” came a hesitant answer.

“No problem. It’s not easy juggling books on Criminal Psychology,” Blair answered reading the title of one of the books.

The man nodded. “I guess I need a backpack,” he admitted

“It would make things easier,” Blair agreed with a friendly smile, looking over the man. He was sure the spirits had led him to this stranger, but they had yet to tell him why. “Blair Sandburg,” he introduced himself about to offer his hand until he realized between the cane and the books the stranger’s hands were full.

“Jim Ellison,” the man answered with a nod and a “too die for” smile.

“Are you a psychology or law major?” Blair asked indicating the titles.

“Neither. I’m just auditing a class while my knee heals. I’ve another six weeks of therapy according to the doctors and since I’m on leave I figured I should do something useful with the time. A friend of mine teaches the course, so…” Jim let his voice trail.

“So, you’re not a student here.” 

Jim shook his head. “I’m a detective with Major Crimes.”

“Can I ask how did you hurt your knee?” Blair replied, fishing to find out why the spirits had led him to Jim.

“I was in a grocery store buying some food when a junkie came in and tried to rob the place. He shot the owner but I got hold of the gun before he could do anymore damage. In the struggle I got shot in the leg and the bullet went into my knee.” Jim shrugged as if this were no big deal and Blair shook his head. He remembered hearing about the event on television. They hadn’t named the cop involved in the incident but the junkie had come into the store high on crack and shooting up the place. After hitting the owner the junkie had turned the gun on a pregnant woman. An off duty cop had put himself between the gun and the pregnant woman and then jumped the junkie. The store owner (who had survived the junkie’s shoot out) and the pregnant woman both stated that the cop had saved all their lives that day. The television stations had agreed and declared the unnamed cop a true hero dubbing him the Convenience Store Cop.

“The Convenience Store Cop?” Blair asked with a smile and Jim nodded. “They never gave out your name.”

“I asked the PD not to. It’s harder to do the job when you’re in the limelight.”

Blair imagined that was probably true but it also said something about the man. “So, while you’re going through physical therapy, you thought you’d bone up on criminal psychology,” he mused.

“Sitting home for six weeks didn’t appeal to me. And I can’t drive yet so I can’t get to one of my favorite fishing holes. And with therapy three times a week, I need to be close to home.”

“And except for the Jags there is nothing you’re interested in on TV,” Blair added with a knowing smile. Blair loved watching talk shows, history shows, and travel shows but that went along with his career as an anthropologist. “How do you get to Rainier? I doubt you live on campus.”

“I get a lift.”

Blair almost smacked himself in the head, color rising on his cheeks. Of course the man had friends who could give him a ride. Not to mention the cop cars about. He was sure Jim could call on a brother in blue to give him a ride if he needed it.

“Are you a student here?” Jim asked as he shifted the books, glancing around. 

“No, I know I look young but I’m one of the teaching staff.”

Jim nodded as he turned toward Hargrove Hall, Blair easily falling in step as Jim moved favoring his right leg. “I’m an anthropologist,” he continued. “You’re welcome to audit one of my classes if you want.”

“Thanks, but with my schedule I don’t think I could handle more than one class. And I’m out of practice when it comes to being a student.”

Blair nodded opening the door to Hargrove Hall and letting Jim enter ahead of him. “Well, if you change your mind, you’re welcome.” Blair turned down one hall as Jim headed off down another.

Blair walked back to his office. He didn’t understand why he had to meet Jim Ellison, but as a practicing Shaman he knew better than to ignore the spirits. When he was on a university expedition in South America two years ago, the Shaman of the tribe they stayed with had singled him out and informed him that he was a Shaman and the spirits demanded he be taught the Path of a Shaman. The next six months, in addition to working with the university team, he had spent hours with the Shaman, Incacha, of the Chopec tribe. Often, Incacha would mention something about Enqueri but would never explain the reference saying “In time you will see.”

Entering the office he glanced around. Nothing was touched but something definitely felt different about the room. He slowly moved towards his desk, he did have a bunch of books to grade. But as he took a seat, a book fell off a shelf just on his right. Turning, Blair looked down. Richard Burton’s book, the Sentinels of Paraguay, was lying open on the ground, the page turned to a picture of a sentinel warrior. 

Reaching down with a degree of reverence he rarely displayed, he lifted the book and glanced at the picture of the sentinel, his hand running lovingly over the picture. Telling himself it couldn’t be, even as his body began to tingle with excitement, he glanced over the book and then considered his meeting with Jim Ellison. Could the detective be a sentinel? As a cop he certainly was a tribal protector and the spirits had led Blair to him. He would watch the detective closely. Maybe, just maybe, his prayers for a sentinel had been answered.

Turning to his computer, Blair began a search on Jim Ellison. If Jim was a sentinel, he would need to find a way to become part of the detective's life. He would start with a few visits to a certain criminal justice class. Then, he might consider a ride along with the Cascade PD. He had always meant to do a paper on the "Thin Blue Line"...


End file.
